


The 5J Café

by melosdechordas



Category: Spider-Man (Movies - Raimi), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man (Video Game 2018), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Amazing Spider-Man (Movies - Webb)
Genre: Cat Cafe, Coffee Shops, F/M, Fluff, New York City, Romance, Stan Lee Cameo, and time skips, lots of internal dialogue, pretend i know what it's like to be a barista
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:21:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27427102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melosdechordas/pseuds/melosdechordas
Summary: It's pumpkin spice season.
Relationships: Peter Parker/Reader, Peter Parker/You, Spider-Man/Reader, Spider-Man/You
Comments: 11
Kudos: 68





	The 5J Café

**Author's Note:**

> a/n: okay, just _pretend_ it's pumpkin spice season. i meant to finish this weeks ago!
> 
> also, i think i made it ambigious enough to be read as any peter parker, so enjoy with whichever one you have in mind.

You had mixed feelings about this season. Oh, you just loved the breezy weather, which called for bringing out your old cardigans, which called for taking yourself on walks to find crunchy leaves to step on, and finally called for… seasonal coffee. Sure, you loved drinking them. But having been a barista in New York City for long enough, you knew autumn drinks brought out the pickiest of customers. 

True autumn wouldn’t start for another few weeks, but the temperature was already dropping. All the cats wanted to do was snuggle up into you or the customers. Yes, cats.

Your parents opened their very own cat café one year ago after hearing about a nearby shelter with maximum capacity. They took in five kittens, but after realizing that five cats couldn’t share one cramped apartment, they rented a space for their love of coffee and cats. The rest was history. 

As Juniper busied herself with the cuff of your sleeve, you mentally went through your closing checklist. It was Sunday and already 8:55 - you’d be closing soon. A pair of girls who were becoming regulars were still toying with Java, so you decided to round up the rest of the cats. 

Juniper the first to go in the back room for the night. It’s no different from the front of the store besides clutter and that tiny broom closet you call an office. Cat toys and random cuts of yarn litter the space. You make a mental note to clean it up tomorrow. (And by that you mean shove everything away from the path to the office.)

J3 is already lounging on a couch riddled with multicolored cat fur. He’s licking his paw with his eyes narrowed like a scheming villain. You roll your eyes at him before going to retrieve the others.

You scoop up Jasper and Jewel in each hand as you watch your last two customers throw away their cups. They wave at you and you say goodnight, walking into the back once again as you hear the jingling of the bell on the glass front door. 

You dim the café lights once you’re alone. But once you enter the front, you hear a low hissing sound. You whip your head to Java, who’s arching her back and staring at the glass door. The blue and red open sign flashes on the face of a stout man. 

You pick up your cat and walk towards him. You turn off the sign lights before you crack open the door.

“Sorry, sir, we just closed. Our hours tomorrow are-”

“I didn’t ask.” He shoves in the door, causing you to stumble backwards. Java falls out of your hands and scurries to her siblings in the back.

The man invites himself in, and two others also in black follow behind. You raise your hands up, jumping in fear as they each pull out a gun. 

“Please,” you mumble. “I-”

“To the register!” he booms, pointing the barrel at your chest. He begins to advance, staring into your eyes. He has a twitch.

You obey him. “My keys are in my pocket,” you say, doing your best to keep your voice level. “I’m going to get them, ok?” He doesn’t say anything to that, and watches you slowly reach down. 

This was your only chance. Quickly you fish for your silent emergency button and push it. Then, just as fast, take out the key to the register. You unlock it with shaking hands, trying to recall how many minutes away the nearest police station was. 

Now that you’re looking, you remember there’s only about $100 in here. It was a café, and this was New York after all. You had made more than triple that amount in credit card sales today.

The man fists the money over the counter, skimming through the small amount of bills. 

“Where’s the rest?” one of them asks, peering over to look at the money. “There has to be more than this.”

“We should look in the back,” the third one speaks. Another wave of dread passes through you, this one insurmountable to the rest.

_The cats._

But you have no choice. You exhale a shuddering breath, and move towards the back to lead them. You push open the door, but stop when you hear a chipper voice. 

“This doesn’t look like an emergency.”

Behind your three robbers was New York’s hero. Spider-Man stood wide, clad in red and blue, both gloved hands on his hips.

The three turn, guns immediately aimed at his body.

Spider-Man narrows his big white eyes. “Oh. Now it does.”

You dive into the back as you hear the first gunshot ring out. Your cats are distressed beyond belief, so you usher them into the safe room. They scurry and you close them in.

Maybe stupidly, you peek your head up from the clear part of the swinging doors. Spider-Man is still fighting the three, but you feel relief when you don’t see them waving around guns anymore. There’s a part of the ceiling that has been webbed up a considerable amount. Three guns sit heavily inside the silk. You realize that that’s how he had disarmed them. 

Spider-Man is spry and quick on his feet, but the bandits outnumber him. You watch them crash around the tables, chairs, and fall decorations. It would be amusing if it wasn’t so serious.

You look away and bite your nail. Should you help him? Oh, but you were so nervous! Then again, you’re sure Spider-Man is too… 

You take a big breath, then something to the left catches your eye. Carefully you open the tiny fire extinguisher door. You pull out the tall red cylinder, then quietly make your way out into the café area.

No one has noticed you yet. One guy has been webbed into a chair, passed out. But the others are advancing towards Spider-Man. The shorter of the two comes up behind the hero and grabs his wrists, tugging them backwards. His friend takes the opportunity to punch Spider-Man square in the stomach. He buckles, choking on his breath.

You gasp at that, causing the assailant to turn on a heel at the sound. But before you let him move towards you, you squeeze, and a white cloud comes bursting out of the fire extinguisher you were holding. Not knowing what else to do, you run up into it and begin to swing the can. You finally hear a clang and a groan, then a body crumples onto the floor.

Spider-Man, now regaining his breath, punches out the last man’s lights. He sighs when it’s finished, then looks over at you.

“Thanks, you got me out of a rough spot.”

You gape at him. “You’re thanking _me_? But you saved my shop!”

He shrugs, and you’re sure he’s smiling wide underneath that mask. “It’s part of the job description.”

You stutter. “H-How..? There must be some way I can repay you. A c-coffee, maybe? No, that’s not worth enough…”

He laughs at your inner thoughts. “A coffee would be just fine.” But then he frowns. You hear a muffled but urgent voice coming through his mask. It must be a call. “But maybe next time, okay?”

Before you know it, he’s out the door, and you can see him swinging off into the night.

You wait for police to arrive, leaving everything the way it is just in case. You tell them what happened. You notice the policeman doesn’t look too happy at your mention of Spider-Man. You couldn’t care less. He had saved your life, your café, and your cats! These policemen just have to clean up.

They first return your money. Then, they get a ladder to remove the weapons tied up to your ceiling. Finally, they take away the bad men, grimacing in disgust when they have to touch the webs Spider-Man encased them in.

Eventually they leave, and you’re left alone again. You make sure to lock the door, then go into the back to release your cats. They seem much calmer, and they all sidle up to you happily.

You wish you could just cuddle the five of them all night. You’re considering it, and Juniper is begging through her purrs. But then you look out the door to the front and groan at the sight.

“I _can’t,_ ” you say to them, rubbing Jewel’s neck. You really couldn’t. No, you’d spend tonight cleaning up this whole mess.

You sigh.

_‘Well, better get started.’_

•••

It had been a few days since that night, and things have been hectic. 

Your parents had gone wild. Everyone knows, where Spider-Man goes, publicity follows. If any customer had been anti-superhero and stopped coming, your revenue wouldn’t have noticed. Sales have been skyrocketing in your little shop. 

With some good old fashioned marketing, the place was starting to look like a Spider-Man shrine. There were posters taped everywhere of him. Your father had drawn the Spider-Man logo on the front door glass with marker. Your mother had the idea to dress up all the cats. 

Well, every cat except J3. For some reason, he wouldn’t let anyone come near him with anything Spidey related. But Jasper, your orange tabby, wore a red and blue bandana with webs. Juniper wore a Spidey bow tie to match his tuxedo fur. You had bought Java, your brown cat, a Spidey collar, and the white cat Jewel wore an entire Spider-Man suit. It was a hit with the customers, who were all creating theories of what had happened when the superhero had saved the shop. 

You, however, had kept this Spider-Man business to yourself. Even during the busiest of customer rushes, like now, you found yourself daydreaming of him. You imagined how he would look, and who he was under all of that spandex… not that it mattered. You were already hopelessly crushing on him. 

The hot steam trickling down the cup onto your fingers instantly throws you back into reality. You curse under your breath, grabbing a towel to clean up, then finishing the drink off.

“Pumpkin spice latte for Stan!” you call out, setting down the hot cup at the end of the counter. An old man with white hair and aviators nods at you before grabbing it and heading out the door. 

You don’t have much time to inspect your burning hand; there’s a line almost out the door.

Shaking your head, you think, _‘Gotta get my head out of Spider-Man’s webs.’_

Finally after a long hour of making drinks non-stop, a tiny lull has found its way into the shop. All the cats were being adored, no one had complained about their drink order, and it seemed as if everyone was still talking about Spider-Man. 

With your parents still manning the front, you decide to quietly make yourself a coffee and slip into the alleyway right outside of the café. It’s chillier than you expect, but the cool air is welcome; you’ve been running around all morning. 

The cup in your hands feels too hot for you to sip on just yet. You lean on the bricks and close your eyes. You’re about to take a sip when you hear a familiar _‘thwip’_ noise. You look around, eyes trying to track anything.

From seemingly nowhere, Spider-Man appears in front of you, perched on the bottom rung of the fire escape stairs. 

You jump, heart racing. 

“Oh! Sorry, did I scare you?” The eyes on his suit widen. You find it both amusing and interesting. 

You keep a good grip on the coffee, trying not to make a fool of yourself. You were starstruck, mouth slightly parted open.

“Spider-Man!” you eventually stutter out. 

“How’s the café going? Everything safe and sound?” He peers around you, looking into the shop. You feel embarrassed by the amount of Spider-Man promos and decorations you have set up, but he seems happily surprised by what he’s seeing. 

You rub your neck awkwardly. “My parents spared no expense in the form of gratitude… and publicity. We even give 10% off if someone comes in with Spidey gear.”

He laughs at that. It’s a musical, beautiful thing. 

“That’s amazing. How much percent do you get off if you _are_ Spider-Man?”

You grin, then hand him your warm cup. 

His head tilts slightly. “Oh, no, I was just kidding.”

“No, seriously, I owe you. It’s okay, take it.”

With reluctance, he grabs it from your hands. His textured gloves brush your fingers. 

“What is it?” he asks, not giving you any time to register why your heart started to beat faster.

“It’s a maple vanilla latte with pumpkin spice and an extra shot of espresso.”

“Woah. That’s a mouthful.” He inspects it, turning the cup and peering in the drink hole.

You smile. “Not when you hear it and make it every day. Are you not the coffee type?”

“I am. But not like this. This is all fancy. I just make it myself and head out the door.”

You chuckle. “Well now you can swing by and I’ll make it for you.”

He looks again at the cup. “Oh, yeah?” he says sarcastically, “for $6?”

You shake your head. “For you, it’s free. You pretty much saved my life. That’s worth as many coffees as you want.”

“It’s just my responsibility.”

“I mean it. Please.”

He chuckles. You imagine a handsome smile beneath that mask. You spend so much time imagining, Spider-Man has to wave his fingers in front of your face.

“Hello? Uh… shoot, I never even asked your name.”

“(Y/N).”

“(Y/N) the barista, huh?” The careful way he says your name has your stomach flipping.

You could stay in this moment forever, but you can hear the noise in the café grow louder. You sigh, giving him a bittersweet smile.

“I gotta go. But uh, I’ll be here when you want some free brew.”

“Free coffee and a smile from you? I’ll be sure to come back.”

Blood rushes to your face and ears instantly, too shy to look him in the face, even though it’s just a mask.

Unable to respond to that, you point to the cup he’s holding. “It’s best if you drink it hot!” you blurt.

He nods and waves as you quickly slip back inside. 

You lean against the back door and let your face return to a normal temperature before heading back into the flurry of the café. 

•••

Honestly, there were knots in your stomach as you began to close up shop for today. It had been exactly a week since the attempted robbery, and you were never supposed to be left alone at the shop anymore, but it couldn’t be helped tonight. Your parents seriously needed to hire more people, especially now - customers weren’t just coming back for Spider-Man. He had given this place the popularity spike, but people have stayed for the coffee, and the cats. 

You’ve tried since then to not think about what would’ve happened had Spider-Man swung by a different street corner. But right now, this felt a little too much like déjà vu. You sigh, scooping up Jewel in your arm and looking at the bright lights of New York City as you dim the lights of the café.

“No one will rob us if they see we have cute little cats like you, right?” you say to her with a baby voice.

J3 purrs from below you, rubbing his body on your legs. His tricolored fur sticks to your dark jeans. 

You sigh and look at the clock.

“It’s 8:45…” you tell them. “Would anyone notice if I shut the doors for the night? No one needs coffee on a Sunday night, right?”

“Could you make an exception for me?”

“Ah!” you scream, jumping and immediately clutching your chest. Jewel jumps out of your arms and scurries away. You try to keep your heart from bursting forth. But you know that voice. It’s one you’ve kept thinking of since you’ve heard it. Your heart continues to race, but it’s no longer in fear. 

“If it isn’t my favorite barista!”

You turn around to see Spider-Man once again. His eye shape tells you he’s smiling, maybe even grinning. You smile back. 

“You scared the life out of me,” you exhale.

“Halloween’s not for another few weeks,” he jokes.

“Then why are you in a costume?” you quip back.

He shrugs cheekily. “Uh… because free stuff?”

You laugh, heading over to the counter. “What can I get for you?” You’d have to re-clean a machine, but for him, you don’t mind. You did promise. 

“Uh, the uh, thing. Maple, pumpkin, vanilla, whatever.” He gestures with his hands.

You smirk. “Maple vanilla latte with pumpkin spice and one extra shot espresso?”

“...Yes.”

The two of you laugh and you begin to prepare it. “You sure you want coffee right now?”

“Oh, yeah. Long night ahead of me.”

“Protecting the city?”

“Yep, and everything that comes with it,” he sighs. 

Not knowing what to say to that, you let the hissing of the hot steam heat his drink.

Capping the paper cup, you hand it over. You expect him to grab it and take off, but instead he sits down in the chair in front of the island. Jewel, the friendliest of your cats, immediately hops on the table beside him, and Spider-Man’s masked eyes go wide. 

“Hello…” he fingers the tag on the collar to read, “Jewel.” 

You watch them interact as you begin to clean the machine.

“I didn’t know this was a cat café,” he mused, stroking her fur.

You raise an eyebrow. “Our logo is a cat drinking a cup of coffee,” you deadpan.

He throws his hands up, shrugging.

“We have five cats here.” He looks around to see them roaming around. You introduce them to him. Jasper was cleaning her orange fur. Java was taking a nap in one of the beds. Juniper was busy with the cat scratching tower. You hadn’t spotted J3, but you’re sure he was around somewhere.

You’ve been so busy cleaning that once you notice Spider-Man’s mask lifted up just above his mouth, you try your hardest not to double-take or stare. But damn, it’s taking your entire willpower. You got only a glance, but there was no doubt of Spider-Man having the most perfect pink lips you’ve ever seen. It feels like all the blood in your body is rushing to your face as you furiously scrub dishes in an attempt to keep yourself from looking.

He’s casually drinking from his cup, and it’s so quiet you can hear him swallowing. He must notice it too, so he begins to talk. You try to keep a straight face as you look at him.

“Y’know, I used to be allergic to cats,” he says.

_‘Wow’,_ you think, _‘even his teeth are pretty!’_

“Oh, yeah?” 

Jasper has joined his side now, sniffing at his suit.

“Yup. But then I got Spidey powers, and now I don’t get puffy eyes,” he laughs. 

You laugh with him, and now J3 has come up on the table. He arches his back, his green eyes squinting at Spider-Man. He notices him and gives a smile. He reaches his gloved hand out for him to sniff, but J3 draws back. You’ve seen this body language on him before…

“Watch out!” you shout, but J3’s claws have already sunk into Spider-Man’s skin. He drags his nails down, ripping the glove and drawing some blood. Your cat dashes away into the back room as you yell his name furiously. 

After quickly grabbing the first aid kit under the counter, you go around the island to help him. 

“I am so sorry!” you yelp, taking his hand and setting it on the counter.

He smiles. “It’s fine, don’t worry. Kitty just didn’t wanna play.”

You chuckle, then say, “Well, his full name is J. Jonah Jameson… So I guess it makes sense that he doesn’t like you.”

He bursts out laughing at that. His smile is blinding, but you feel like a moth. 

He continues to drink his coffee as if nothing’s happened while you dab away the blood. It looks quite deep.

“Does it hurt?” you question.

Spider-Man shrugs. “Not really. I’ll be okay. Regeneration powers are a cool plus. It’ll heal quick.”

You nod. That makes you feel less guilty.

Once you bandage him up, you apologize again as you sit next to him. 

He smiles and shakes his head again. “No worries.” He lays a hand over yours, and you swear your heart skips a beat.

This feels oddly perfect. Alone, lights dimmed, the two of you sitting across from each other...

You’re staring at his mouth again. As far as you know, this is the most anyone has ever seen of Spider-Man’s actual identity. But who he is doesn’t much matter to you. No, what does matter to you is if you’re about to let this moment go. 

_‘Not a chance.’_

You grab a hold of his wrist. He doesn’t resist, curious. Then, you close your eyes and pull him gently towards you. 

The softness of his lips is more than you could have ever imagined. After a moment, he grabs the point of your chin, then his lips move with yours. He tastes like the coffee he had just drank. You love it.

The two of you pull away eventually, needing to catch your breath. You’re scared to look at him, so you fiddle with your sleeves.

“That was…” he starts.

“I’m sorry!” you blurt, suddenly doubting everything. Had you read everything wrong? Talk about embarrassing! 

“No, no,” he touched your hand. “I.. That hasn’t happened with any of the other baristas I’m talking to.”

Your heart drops. Your expression must drop too, because he instantly backtracks.

“Wow, I’m sorry, that was a way better joke in my head. I didn’t mean that. There’s no other people I’m getting coffee from. Free or not.”

You look up at him. Below his bunched up mask was a cautious smile.

Before you can react further, you hear buzzing. You’re startled, but he just frowns and pulls down his mask, covering his mouth and chin once again.

“Sorry, I gotta go.” He stands up. “Thanks for the coffee, though, (Y/N).”

“You’re welcome, uh, Spider-Man.”

He chuckles and heads for the door. 

“Tell cat Jonah I forgive him,” he says, before winking and swinging away into the night sky. 

You sit there stunned, fingers touching your lips.

_‘Did that really just happen?’_

•••

The next morning, you’re still giddy. You kissed Spider-Man last night! Who else can say that?

You spent all of last night reliving the moment, trying not to forget any detail. His touch, the sound of his voice, his mouth, _his mouth on yours…_

If it wasn’t apparent to you before, you knew for certain now that Cupid had shot you, point blank. You just hoped you hadn’t come on too strong. You wanted to see him again, and soon, but it wasn’t up to you. You would just have to be patient. And what better way to eat up time than to work? 

Well, you could think of a million better ways. 

But, the more time you spent at the café, the better the chance of your superhero coming by. You like to think of it as more romantic than pathetic of you to do this.

It was midday Monday now, and things were slow. You were taking your time cleaning the back counters, humming along with a song on your playlist. 

_♪ “He got that boyish look that I like in a man” ♪_

From the corner of your eye, you see someone step up to the counter. 

“Hello! How can I help you?” you say, smoothing down your apron and walking back to the register. And that’s when you look up. Your breath feels stolen from you.

It’s an absolutely gorgeous guy who looks around your age. He’s got beautiful brown hair, mesmerizing eyes despite looking like he’s been up all night, and… a certain smile. Haven’t you seen that before?

He swallows, looking you up and down. “Hi,” he exhales. 

“Hi,” you say back. After a short moment of silence from him you add, “Can I get you something to drink?”

His eyebrows shoot up. “Right.” Without looking at the menu, he recites meticulously, “Could I have a maple vanilla latte with pumpkin spice?”

You instinctively begin to ring up his order, but you’re lost in thought. That voice, too... 

You tip up your head to get another look at him. Your heart’s racing.

“Oh!” he says, suddenly realizing something. “With an extra shot of espresso. Please.”

You nod, picking up a cup. “N-name?” you stutter, trying not to stare at him too intensely.

But wow, how could you not? He was beyond your wildest dreams…

“Huh?”

“Your name,” you clarify, “for the order?”

He adjusts his shirt. “Peter.”

_Peter._

Whoever Peter was, you knew one thing. He was Spider-Man. And the guy you kissed last night. There was almost no doubt about it. Right?

No one else is in line, so he lingers close while you make his drink. Your thoughts feel so loud, you wonder if he can hear them too.

_‘Oh, he's so attractive... This has to be him! But does he know I know?’_

Clearing your throat, you ask, “First time ordering here?” That was an innocent enough question, right?

He grins. “Could you tell?” He’s drumming his fingers on the countertop gently.

“You didn’t even look at the menu.” You chuckle. “You had that thing memorized.”

He laughs. “Yeah, uh, a friend actually recommended this place. And the drink, of course.”

“Oh, really?” you mumble.

You watch his hands. There’s an almost-healed scar over the back of his hand. His words from yesterday ring loud in your head.

_‘Regeneration powers are a cool plus. It’ll heal quick.’_

You pick up a Sharpie, scribble on the cup, then begin pouring the drink in.

He runs a hand through his pretty hair. “Yeah.”

“Well, give them my thanks, okay?”

You hand over the cup, lips unable to form anything but a big smile.

He takes dollar bills from his pocket and holds them out to you. You shake your head, putting your hand over his. The contact is electrifying, but you push his arm back towards him and let go.

You wink, then in a hushed tone, you say, “I told you, I give drinks to Spider-Man for free.”

There’s another customer waiting at the register, so you don’t have any time to be amused by the incredulous look on his face. You don’t mind though; you’re sure Spider-Man will swing by later. The thought makes you grin.

...

Peter stares at you as you take the next drink order. You had a great smile, customer service or not. Your hair was such a lovely color, and he adored the way you said ‘caramel’ as you repeated the customer’s order.

You eventually move to fix up the drink, and that’s when he notices there’s a clock right behind your head. He snaps out of it. He’d better hurry or he’d be late for work.

He unwillingly tears away his gaze on you. Then he gives Jasper the orange tabby a good scratch on the neck before heading out into the breezy streets of New York.

As Peter walks away, he finally looks at the cup. The name on it is not even a name, just initials.

_SM_

But there’s more. Moving his thumb, he reads further. It’s a set of 10 digits, followed by, _‘Text me?’_

He’s already whipping out his phone.


End file.
